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The Divine Office of Saint Francis
by
Julian of Speyer and Others
(1228–1232)
First Vespersa
1. Antiphonsb
- Francis, the valiant catholic
And perfectly apostolic,
Did instruct us to adhere
To the faith of the Roman Church,
And those who were her priests, he’d urge
We should most of all revere.c - Innocent set him on the course
That in the reign of Honorius
Splendidly achieved its aim.
Succeeding these, Pope Gregory
Heaped on him honors greater yet,
When miracles brought him fame.d - This man the saint had selected
As His father and protector,
While prelate of a lower see,
- First Vespers, the evening prayer which initiated the celebration of the feast of Saint Francis, followed the practice of the Church by having a twofold purpose. It marked the ending of the day and, as such, was laudatory or thankful in nature. At the same time, however, it anticipated the feast that was about to be celebrated and was, therefore, caught up in the themes of the following day.
- Antiphons had a twofold purpose in the Divine Office: (a) musically, they indicated the tone upon which a psalm should be chanted; (b) liturgically, they suggested the dominant thought or theme with which a psalm should be prayed.
- Whereas antiphons were traditionally scriptural in nature, i.e., echoing a passage from the psalm itself or highlighting a Gospel interpretation of the psalm, others possessed an historical character. In this instance, the antiphons reflected some aspect of the saint’s life which exemplifies the psalm in question, Psalm 109 Dixit Dominus Domino meo [The Lord said to my lord]. In keeping with the sacerdotal accent of the psalm, Julian of Speyer crafts an antiphon from 1C 62 which offers an interpretation of the psalm from the perspective of Francis’s life.
- The second psalm is Psalm 110 Confiteor tibi, Domine, in toto corde meo [I will praise You, Lord, with all my heart].
Iuliani de Spira Officium Sancti Francisci, Fontes Franciscani, p.
Iuliani de Spira Officium Sancti Francisci
AD I VESPERAS 1 — Antiphonae
- I. Franciscus, vir catholicus
Et totus, apostolicus,
Ecelesiae teneri
Fidem romanae docuit,
Presbyterosque monuit
Prae cunctis revereri. - II. Coepit sub Innocentio,
Cursumque sub Honorio
Perfecit gloriosum;
Succedens his, Gregorius
Magnificavit amplius
Miraculis famosum. - III. Hunc sanctus praeelegerat
In patrem, quando praeerat
Ecclesiae minori;